Spokesperson Sontaga Seisa says the investigator in the case has failed on numerous occasions to contact Free State journalist, Paul Nthoba, despite having met on Monday. He says Nthoba, who is believed to be in hiding for fear of his life after the alleged assault by the officers, can't be reached. 

His family is also not willing to divulge any information about his whereabouts. He adds Ipid is not aware of any danger to his life, but has reiterated it remains committed to assisting in speeding up the investigation.

Meanwhile, The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) yesterday said it was “deeply concerned” that Nthoba has been forced to flee the country and reportedly seek refuge in Lesotho.

Seisa adds that none of the police officers accused of the assault against Nthoba have been arrested as yet, as the investigation is still ongoing. It's understood that these officers also laid a counter criminal case docket against the journalist for allegedly contravening the National Disaster Management Act under the national lockdown due to Covid-19.

These officers are alleged to have assaulted Nthoba on Friday, May 15, while gathering news in the area focusing on the Covid-19 news coverage for the community newspaper he had launched.

Nthoba claimed to have been punched, kicked and insulted by the officers, who were reportedly not happy with his taking their pictures. Ficksburg made headlines in 2011 when an unarmed civilian, Andries Tatane, was shot dead by police officers during a service delivery protest in that area.

"On Monday 18 May 2020, our investigator met with the journalist at his aunt’s place and after the meeting, an agreement was reached for a follow-up meeting the following day or Wednesday, 20 May. It is important to state that our investigator advised the complainant to call him in case he required any form of assistance - which never happened," Seisa further adds.

He says as soon as the investigator find and confirm with him any imminent danger to his life, they are willing to engage the relevant government stakeholders to arrange for his safety.

"Ipid is appealing to Nthoba to make contact with our investigator as soon as possible, as this will assist in speeding up the investigations. We are still gathering evidence which, upon completion, will be presented to the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) for its decision," Seisa concluded.

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